Traverse City Travel Blog

Happy National Chocolate Day! This week, celebrate with heavenly chocolate treats from some of our favorite local businesses that cater to everyone’s sweet tooth. Take a page out of Willy Wonka’s book and embark on a Traverse City chocolate tour using the curated list below. 

Experience the full range of fun and relaxation that a vacation has to offer, minus the added stress of long-distance travel. The Traverse City area is teeming with events and activities this fall season, and planning your own staycation is a wonderful way to enjoy the bounties of Northern Michigan without needing to buy plane tickets or step foot in the airport. There’s no need to wander far from home when you live near Traverse City: it’s exactly where we should be.

On a slightly overcast but pleasantly warm day in July, I set sail on the Inland Seas 77-foot schooner with the Inland Seas Educational Association. I arrived in Suttons Bay as a mere resident of Northern Michigan but emerged from the boat as a Great Lakes scientist.

August is National Picnic Month! At the crossroads of cuisine and the outdoors, the picnic is the perfect union of two of the best things that Traverse City has to offer. Here is a guide compiled by a local to the finest picnicking spots in the area coupled with suggestions of go-to markets and eateries to fulfill the all-important food element of your idyllic, summer picnic. 

Whether you’re searching for a radical lifestyle change or just looking to expand your palate, eating plant-based food is trendy, healthy, environmentally friendly, and delicious. In the past couple of years, plant-based dining options have grown exponentially in the Northern Michigan area. Not to mention, the food selection for people with other dietary restrictions has developed, as well.  

Across from the shores of Crystal Lake, just outside of the city deemed the “Cherry Capital of the World”, there lies the nationally recognized Cherry Hut – a Northern Michigan tradition since 1922. If you do the math, you’ll notice that the Cherry Hut is proudly celebrating its 100th season in business. Today, the Cherry Hut is both a restaurant serving classic American entrees and cherry-themed desserts and a retailer providing visitors with popular cherry goods and souvenirs.